How to Choose an Esthetician College near Harrisville West Virginia
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Harrisville WV, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the school you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit more regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Harrisville residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Harrisville WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Estheticians
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Esthetics Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two avenues offered to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Harrisville WV business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Harrisville WV students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes
Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Harrisville home, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 26362 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Harrisville WV employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Harrisville WV salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Harrisville WV beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s essential that she or he gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Harrisville WV employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be provided.
Attending Esthetician School Near Harrisville WV?
Perhaps you live in the Harrisville West Virginia area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend. Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.
Harrisville, West Virginia
Harrisville is a town in Ritchie County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,876 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ritchie County.[6] The town is home to historic Berdine's Five and Dime.
According to the 2010 census,[2] there were 1,876 people, 787 households, and 496 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,187.3 inhabitants per square mile (458.4/km2). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 580.4 per square mile (224.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.
There were 787 households of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.81.
Find the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Harrisville WV
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Harrisville WV.
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